Steam-engine



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheen 1. M. C. BULLOCK.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 564,000. Patented July 14, 1896.

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STEAM ENGINE.

No. 564,000. Patented July 14, 1896-.

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STEAM ENGfI-NB.A

No. 504,000. Patented Jul-y 14, 1896.

NITED STATES vPATEM? OFFICE. ,c

MILAN C. BULLOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VSTEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,000, dated July 14, 1896. Application filed January 31, 1894. Serial No. 498,634. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILAN C. BULLOCK, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to steam-engines of that kind having a hollow or tubular pistonrod through which steam is admitted to the cylinder of the engine. p

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The features to which my invention relates are herein shown as applied to a single-acting engine having a plurality of steam-cylinders located side by side, a single crank-shaft, pistons in the cylinders, piston-rods acting on the crank-shaft, and steam-chests located adjacent to the cylinder-heads, said piston-rods being tubular and extending through the cylinder-heads into the steam-chests, the engine shown in these respects being like that described and illustrated in a prior patent, No. 339,242, granted to P. IV. NVillans April 6, 1886.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a sectional view of the steam-chests and adjacent parts of the cylinders of a throttling-governor engine, together with a part of the crank-shaft, it illustrating one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same parts, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail section of one steam-chest, showing a construction slightly different from that of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a plan section of the same, taken on line 6 6 vof Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken through one set of cylinders of a twocylinder engine, illustrating a connection for operating the central valve from the con `necting-rod of the engine.

As shown in Figs. l to 6 of the drawings, A A indicate two engine-cylinders; B B,

steam-chests connected with the ends thereof;

C, a crank-shaft operated by the pistons within the cylinders, one of which pistons is indicated vat D. The cylinders A A may loe considered as representing the steam-cylinders of a single-acting two-cylinder simple or compound engine, or said cylinders may be the high-pressure cylinders of a singleacting double-tandem compound engine,such 6o as is shown in said prior ViIIans patent, the improvements constituting my invention being applicable to both simple and compound engines. The steam-chests B B are shown as connected by a steain-pipe B', to 65 which steam is supplied through amain supply-pipe B2, leading from the boiler or steamgenerator. To each piston D is attached a hollow piston-rod E, which passes through the upper wall or head A of the cylinder 7o into the steam-chest B, said upper wall or head of the cylinder forming a diaphragm or partition, which separates the cylinder from the steam-chest in the same manner as in the construction shown in said prior Villans patent. The cylinder-head or partition A is provided with a packing or stufling boX a, closed by a gland or ring a', by which the escape of steam past the piston-rod is prevented in the usual manner. The hollow piston-rod 8o E is provided with inlet-ports e and with exitports e for the passage of steam through said rod to the upper end of the cylinder A. Said ports are controlled by an internal valve within the hollow piston-rod. Such internal 8 5 valve may be operated to control the admission of steam to the cylinder in any suitable manner-as, for instance, as shown in said prior VVillans patent or by an oscillating Y valve such as is shown in my prior patent, No. 9o 533,157, granted January 29, 1895.

In Fig. 7 I have shown an actuating device by which the internal valve is operated from the connecting-rod of the engine, E2 in said ligure indicating the connecting-rod and E3 a lateral arm or projection thereon by which the valve Eis operated through the oscillatory movement of the connecting-rod.

Means forpermitting the escape of eXhauststeam from the cylinder are not herein shown, 1 oo and the same may be of any suitable construction-such, for instance, as that shown f2 on the exterior of the tube F.

in the said prior Villans patent or that shown in my prior patent above referred to.

Referring now more particularly to the parts concerned in the present invention, F indicates a wall or tubular partition arranged within the steam-chest and located in axial alignment with the hollow piston-rod, said wall or tubular partition being closed at its upper end, so as to constitute in effect an inclosure or chamber within the steam-chest in which the upper end of the hollow pistonrod reciproca-tes. Said tubular partition F is provided with steam-portsff, through which steam passes from the steam-chest to the interior of the same. A steam-tight joint is shown as formed between the said tubular partition and the cylinder-head. In Figs. l and 2 such joint is formed by fitting the tube F at its lower end in a cylindric recess formed in the cap a' of the stuffing-box a, the tube being held in place in the latter instance by a stem f', which passes upwardly through a central opening in the top wall of the steamchest, and is held by a nut applied to its upper end.

To now refer more particularly to the construction of the operative parts illustrated in said Figs. 1 and 2, the tubular partition or tube F is in this instance made somewhat greater in diameter than the piston-rod, so as to permit free access of steam to the steaminlet ports e e of the piston-rod notwithstanding the reciprocatory motion of the piston-rod in the tube. Said ports ff are controlled by means of an oscillating valve-ring or sleeve G, which surrounds the tube F, and is provided with ports g g, located at the same distance apart as or corresponding in angular arrangement with the ports f f of the tube F. The valve-ring G is shown as resting at its lower edge on a collar 01 bearing-shoulder The valvering or sleeve G is connected with and actuated by a suitable governing` mechanism, as will be hereinafter described. It will, of course, be understood from the above that the said valve-ring G does not in said Figs. l and 2 directly cont-rol the admission of steam to the cylinders, a main steam-valve, such as the valve e2, which is located within the hollow piston-rod and attached to a valvestem @i2-that is to say, in the construction in the figures of the drawings last referred to the said sleeve G and the governor which actuates it act merely to control the steam supply to the main or engine valve in whatever form the latter may be constructed. The two valverings G G (shown in said Figs. l and 2) are connected with each other by a connectingrod H, engaging lugs g' g on the valve-rings. A sliding stem H2, attached to the rodH and passing through a stuffing-box I, serves to communicate motion from the governor to the parts within the steam-chest.

The governing device illustrated in said -a hollow shaft mounted in a bracket N in axial alinement with the stem H2, which latter stem passes through said shaft N. At its outer end the hollow shaft is provided with two arms M2 M2, to the outer ends of which areV pivoted weighted levers O, having inwardly-extending lever-arms 0 o, which bear against a disk H2 attached to the outer end of the rod H2. Springs O O act to draw inwardly the free ends of the weighted levers O C), and a spring 7L, applied between the bracket N' and an arm 7L on the stem H2, acts to hold the disk H3 in contact with the lever-arms o o. The shaft N is provided with a belt-pulley N2, and the crank-shaft C of the engine is provided with a belt-pulley C', from which motion is transmitted to the shaft by means of a driving-belt P, passing over said pulley (Y and the pulley N3. The spring 7L holds the disk H3 against the lever-arms o o, and when the weighted levers are thrown outwardly by centrifugal action the stem H2 is moved endwise against the action of said spring 71., thereby shifting both valve-rings G G at the same time and cutting off the supply of steam to both cylinders to an equal extent.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a throttlinggovernor applied to actuate a sliding valvering G2, instead of an oscillating valve-ring'. In this instance a tube F is provided within the steam-chest, which tube is made larger than the piston-rod, so as to leave a steamspace around the piston-rod, as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, but which is in some other respects different from that shown in the latter figures. In this instance the tube F" terminates at its top some distance below the upper wall of the steam-chest, and is secured rigidly in place by means of a iiange f2 at its lower end, which flange rests on the top of the stuffing-box, and is secured thereto by bolts. The said tube F is provided near its upper end with annularly-arranged inlet-ports f* f4, herein shown as placed in two annular rows, the ports in this instance being made narrow vertically in order to secure a large steam admission with a slight vertical movement of the valve-ring and in order to secure ample steam area in the ports while retaining the minimum width of the same. The said tube F is shown as enlarged or made of greater diameter in its upper part, where said ports are located, than elsewhere. A valve-ring G2 is employed in this case, having a number of rows of steam-inlet passages or ports g2 g2, corresponding with the ports f4 f4. There being in this instance two rows of ports f4 f4, the ring G2 is provided also with two rows of ports g2 g2, which act in connection with both of said rows of ports f"j". The ring G2 is, as shown in the said Figs. and 4, actuated through the means of a valvestem Q, which passes through a stuffing-box q in the top wall of the steam-chest, and is con- IOC nected with the said ring G2 by means of a plate g2, which extends over the closed upper end of the tube F, in the manner shown. The valve-stems Q Q, belonging to the two adjacent cylinders of the engine,are actuated through the medium of a horizontally-arranged rock-shaft R, which is mounted in brackets r over the steam-chests, andis provided with arms R,which extend horizontally therefrom and are connected with the upper ends of the valve-stems Q by pivot-pins r2, which pass through slots in the ends of the arms R to prevent binding of the parts in the oscillatory movements of said arms. S indicates, as a whole, a centrifugal weight-gov ernor, of common form, of which s s are the centrifugally-acting weights and s the weight surrounding the central spindle of the governor and acting to draw inwardly the weights s s, and also to move the valves in one direction. The governor S is shown as mounted on a bracket S' located between the steamchests, and is driven by a horizontal shaft T through the medium of bevel-gears t t', said shaft having at its outer end a belt-pulley t2, over which is trained a driving-belt T,which passes over a driving-pulley C on the engine crank-shaft C. The central spindle S2 of the governor S is connected with and acts on a horizontal arm lr3 of the rock-shaft R, the action of the weight s tending to depress said rod S2, and to thereby turn the rock-shaft in a direction to depress the valve-rings G2 G2. The centrifugalaction of the governor-weights tends to lift the rod S2, and thereby turn the rock-shaf t in a direction to lift the valve-rings G2 and to cut off the supply of steam to the engine. The hollow piston-rod E is in this case shown as provided with steam-inlet ports e and as containing an internal pistonvalve e2, attached to a valve-stem e3, said piston-valve acting in the same manner as the similar piston-valve shown in the prior Willans patent to control the admission of steam to the cylinder.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I'have shown a construction similar to but some what different from th at shown in Figs. l and 3. In this instance the hollow piston-rod is provided with lateral steam-inlet ports c e near its upper end, through which steam is admitted to the hollow piston-rod in the same manner as in the construction hereinbefore described, and a tubular partition F2 is employed, having ports 5 5 f5 f5, located at a point below the upper limit of the movement of the top of the piston-rod.

lIn this case the piston-rod iits closely within admission valves of the cylinders.

steam-inlet ports f 5 and the ports c throughout the greater part of the stroke of the piston-rod and during all of the time when it is necessary to admit steam into the cylinder. It is, of course, understood that the ports e of the hollow piston-rod may pass downwardlybclow the lower end of the tube F inthe downstroke of the piston-rod without detriment, as is common in the Villans engine referred to, it being practically unnecessary to continue the supply of steam tothe cylinder up to the extreme end of the stroke of the piston. rlhe construction described has the advantage of saving much clearance or steam-space within the tube F2, there being in this construction no steam-space providedwithin said tube excepting that actually necessary for the passage of the steam from the ports therein to the ports in the piston-rod. In said Figs. 5 and 6 a valve-ring G2 is employed, which is arranged to slide vertically on the tube F2, and is actuated by means of a rock-shaft .I ,having rigid arms jj, which are connected with the sleeve G2 by means of links j j. Vhen such a rockshaft is employed, it will extend through the side walls of one ofthe steam-chests and will be actuated by a governing device-such, for instance, as that shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be noted that in all the forms of construction hereinbefore described the tubular partition or the tube within the steam-chest constitutes in effect a stationary tubular extension of the hollow piston-rod, having sliding or telescopic connections therewith, and forming a passage through which steam is admitted to the said hollow piston-rod. It will also be observed that by applying to said stationary tubular wall or partition a valve for controlling the admission of steam to the hollow piston-rod such valve may be made of simple form and so located as to be readily connected with valve actuating` or governing devices. The employment of said stationary tubular partition and placing the valve thereon has the important advantage in an engine having a throttling-governor such as has been hereinbefore described of enabling the governor-valve to be readily placed near the point where the steam enters the hollow piston-rod,thus avoiding excessive steam area between the throttling-valve and the steam- The employment of such stationary tubular wall or partition, however, also has important advantages when applied to an engine in which said valve constitutes the main steam-valve, or where there is no steam-admission valve carried by the hollow piston-rod itself, it being understood that an engine of the kind last mentioned may be provided with either an automatic cut-off governor by which the movement of the valve in the tubular partition is controlled, or with a throttling-governor in the steam-supply pipe, such as shown in said prior Willans patent, or the valve which is controlled by the governor and the main steam-valve.

IOO

IIO

IIS

In multiple-cylinder single-acting engines having' tubular piston-rods through which the steam is applied to the cylinders as such engines have been heretofore constructed it has been common to place the throttlingvalve in the steam-pipe which leads to the steam-chests belonging to both cylinders. This construction has the disadvantage of making the action of the governing devices to a certain extent uncertain or sluggish, it being obvious that, inasmuch as the steamspace within the steam-supply pipe and the steam-chests is relatively large, the desired increase or diminution of the supply to the engine-cylinders will not be instantly effected upon the movement of the throttling-valve. This will be rendered more clear by a consideration of the fact that in said prior construction when the throttling-valve moves in a direction to cut off or lessen the steam supply the body of steam under pressure between the throttling-valve and the steamadmission valves must become gradually exhausted, or must work out through the cylinders before the steam-pressure within the cylinders is reduced to the desired point, and similarly when the throttling-valve opens to supply steam to aiford a greater pressure thereto said steam-space must become iilled with steam before its full effect will be produced within the cylinders.

A construction in which a valve applied to a tubular wall or partition surrounding the end of a hollow piston-rod is connected by actuating devices with the crank-shaft of the engine, and forms the main or steam valve thereof, is claimed in a separate application, Serial No. 499,420, iiled February 7, 1894, and forms no part of the present invention.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with an engine-cylinder and steam-chest, a piston within the cylinder, a hollow piston-rod extending through the cylinder-head into the steam-chest, and a main valve within the piston-rod for controlling the admission of steam to the cylinder, of a wall or partition within the steamchest forming an inelosure, separate from the steam-chest, within which the piston-rod reciprocates and which forms a passage for steam exterior to this piston-rod, a steam-inlet port in said wall or partition, a valve con-Y trolling the admission of steam through said port, and a governing device applied to actuate said valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an engine-cylinder and steam-chest, a piston within the cylinder and a hollow piston-rod attached to the piston and extending into the steam-chest, of a wall or partition within the steam-chest connected with the cylinder-head by a steamtight joint and closed at its end remote from the cylinder-head so as to form an inclosure within which the latter reeiprocates and which ail'ords a passage for steam exterior to the piston-rod, annularly-arranged steam-inlet ports in said inclosure, a valve-ring controlling the admission of steam through said ports, and a governing device applied to actuate said valve, substantially as described.

S. The combination with a plurality of steam-cylinders arranged side by side, two steam-chests connected by a pipe or passage, pistons within the said cylinders, and hollow piston-rods extending through the cylinderheads into the steam-chests, of walls or partitions within the steam-chests forming inclosures in which the piston-rods reciprocate, said walls or partitions being provided with steam-inlet ports, valves eontrollin g said ports, and means for actuating said valves embracing an actuating-rod which extends through said pipe or passage and is connected with all of the said valves, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a steam-cylinder, a steam-chest, a piston within the cylinder, and a hollow piston-rod extending through the cylinder-head into the steam-chest, ot' a tube closed at its upper end and connected with the cylinder-head so as to form an inclosure affording a passage for steam exterior to the piston-rod and within which the latter reciprocates, said tube being provided with a steam-inlet port and with a screw-threaded stem by which it is secured to the wall oli' the steam-chest, and a valve controlling the admission of the steam through the said port substantially as described.

5. A sin gle-acting engine comprising a plurality of steam -cylinders, steam-chests attached to the cylinders, pistons within the cylinders, hollow piston-rods extending into the steam-chests through which steam is supplied to said cylinders, said piston-rods bein g provided with ports for admitting steam to the cylinders, valves carried by thc pistonrods for controlling the admission of steam to the cylinders, walls or partitions forming tubular inclosures for the piston-rods aicrding steam-passages exterior to said rods, said walls or partitions being provided with steaminlet ports, valves i'or controlling the admission of steam through said inlet-ports, and a speed-governor connected with and actuating all of said valves, substantially as described.

6. A single-acting engine comprising a plurality of steam-cylinders, pistons within the cylinders, hollow piston-rods extending into the steam-chests, said piston-rods being provided with steam inlet and exit ports, pistonvalves within the piston-rods for controlling the passage of steam therethrough, walls or partitions within the steam-chests forming tubular inclosures affording steam-passages for steam exterior to said piston-rods and within which the latter reciprocate, said walls being provided with steam-inlet ports, valves for controlling the admission of steam through said inlet-ports, and a speed-governor connected with and actuating said valves, substantially as described.

7 A single-acting engine comprising a plurality oi' steam-cylinders, pistons within the IOO IIO

cylinders, hollow piston-rods extending into the steam-chests, said piston-rods being provided with steam inlet and exit ports, pistonvalves within the piston-rods for controlling the passage of steam therethrough, walls or partitions within the steam-chests forming tubular inclosures affording passages for steam exterior to said piston-rods and within which the latter reciprocate, said walls being provided with steam-inletports, and also with steam-spaces at the side of the piston-rods to admit steam to the inlet-ports of the rods, valves for controlling the passage of steam through said inlet-ports, and a speed-governor connected with and actuating said valves', substantially as described.

8. The combination with an engine-cylinder, a steamchest, a piston within the cylinder, and a hollowr piston-rod extending into the steam-chest, of a tubular inclosure within the steam-chest surrounding the end of the pistonrod and aiiording a passage for steam external to said rod, said tubular inclosure being secured at its lower end to the cylinder-head, steam-inlet ports in said tubular inclosure, a valve for controlling said ports, and a speed-governor connected with and actuating said valve, substantially as described.

9. The combination with an engine-cylinder, a steam-chest, a piston within the cylinder, anda hollow piston-rod extending into the steam-chest, of a tubular inclosure within the steam-chest, surrounding the end of the piston-rod and provided with steam-inlet ports; 'said tubular inclosure affording a space, exterior to the piston-rod, for the lon gitudinal passage of steam from the inletports to the interior of the rod, an oscillatory valve-ring or sleeve applied to the tubular inclosure for controlling the said ports, a

'valverod connected with the valve-ring and extending outwardly through the wall of the steam-chest, and a speed-governor connected with said valve-rod for actuating the said valve-ring, substantially as described;

lO. A single-acting multiple-cylinder engine comprising vertically-arranged stea1ncylinders located side by side, steam-chests, pistons, hollow piston-rods extending into the steam-chests, tubular inclosures within the steam-chests provided with steam-inlet ports, oscillatory valve-rings or sleeves applied to the tubular inclosures to control said steaminlet ports, and a speed-governor connected with and operating said valve-rings, the speedgovernor being arranged with its main shaft parallel with the crank-shaft of the engine, and belt-pulleys on the governor and crankshafts by which the governor is driven from the said crank-shaft, substantially as described.

11. The combination with an engine-cylinder, a steam-chest, a piston, ahollow pistonrod extending into the steam-chest and provided with steam inlet and exit ports, of a tubular wall or partition forming an inclosure in which the piston-rod moves, said wall or partition being provided with longitudinal grooves arranged in radial alinement with the said ports and forming passages extending along the sides of the hollow piston-rod for conducting steam from the inlet-ports of the wall or partition to those of the hollow piston-rod, substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MILAN C. BULLOCK. Witnesses:

HENRY W. CARTER, ALBERT H. GRAvEs. 

